Nanoparticles are nanometer-sized materials e.g., metals, semiconductors, polymers, and the like, that can often posses unique characteristics because of their small size. Nanoparticles are of particular interest because of their potential for use as catalysts, photocatalysts, adsorbents, sensors, and ferrofluids, as well as for their material properties for application to optical, electronic, and magnetic devices, and formulation of plastics and other materials. Accordingly, there is a desire for generalizable methods of directly producing metallic, metallic alloyed, semiconductor, oxide, and other forms of nanocomposite particles having effective functionality in a multitude of scientific disciplines.
In practical application, however, the usefulness of a nanoparticle depends on more than just the properties exhibited in the laboratory. In practical application many interesting laboratory properties may not be realized due to interferents and undesired reactions with chemicals in the application environment.